


Together, We Blossom

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Category: RWBY
Genre: Affection, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fear of loss, Hurt/Comfort, Tumblr Prompt, everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 01:57:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20417993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: When faced with saving the world, it's hard to stay positive all the time.  One night, Ruby struggles with the magnitude of the task she and her friends have chosen and the knowledge that they're all constantly in danger.  Weiss offers her some much needed support and love.





	Together, We Blossom

The fire flickers low.Weiss fidgets.She wants to put another log on.To make things warmer, but the tenseness in the air keeps her in her seat.She’s not certain she wants to be the first to move.To draw attention to herself.

“I…”Ruby speaks.All eyes gathered turn to her.

Weiss watches Ruby’s face scrunch up with emotion.She doesn’t have a chance to see which one.A flurry of rose petals bursts from where Ruby sits.It flies out of the room.Ruby is gone.

“I got this.”Weiss stands.She hadn’t been adding too much to the conversation anyway.She can’t bear the thought of leaving Ruby be when she’s hurting.She _won’t_.

When Weiss walks by her, Yang grabs her wrist.They make eye contact.Their conversation is brief and entirely done through silent facial expressions.Weiss nods.Yang releases her and sits back.Unbeknownst to the others, a promise has passed between them.

Weiss leaves the room.The hallways of the Atlas house General Ironwood gifted them are silent and dark.The night sky through the windows provides little in terms of light.

The echo of her own footsteps unnerve Weiss.The emptiness here reminds her so much of the Schnee family manor.It’s hard not to imagine that she’s back there.Weiss never wanted to return to Atlas.She sighs.When she gets to Ruby’s closed door, Weiss buries the feeling.She knocks.

No response.

Weiss knocks again, a little more firmly.She tries to slow her breathing.If Ruby isn’t here…

Again, no vocal response, but Weiss hears something shift inside the room and a telltale ‘owwie’.She takes hold of the doorknob, twists, and opens the door.

Ruby’s room somehow manages to be darker than the hallway.The only light, the gleam from the distant moon outside the window.It takes Weiss’s eyes a moment to adjust, but, when they do, she notices a person-sized lump on the bed.

“What do you want, Weiss?”Ruby’s voice is uncharacteristically toneless.

Weiss’s resolve to stay calm and collected almost dissipates.“I wanted to see if you were alright.You sort of ran out.I know this is hard and—”

“I’m okay.Thanks for checking on me.You can go now.”

“Ruby.”Weiss steps into the room.

“I said I’m _fine, _Weiss.”

“Look, it’s okay if you’re not.”Weiss advances another step.“This is hard on everyone.We all need support every once in a while.”

“I said GO AWAY!”Ruby slams her fists into the bed.The movement causes her to jerk forward, so her face is in the light from the hallway.She recoils back, but not before Weiss sees the trails her tears left.

Weiss purses her lips.“I’m not going to do that.At least, not before you tell me what I can do to help.”

No response.Weiss waits.

“I—I want you to say…” Ruby trails off.“I don’t know.”The second statement is barely more than a whisper.Her voice abruptly rises,“Scream!Yell at me!”

Weiss sees Ruby’s hands clench back into fists.Her nails digging into the palms of her hands.Weiss winces.That looks like it hurts.It is wrong.So wrong.She wants to run to Ruby, to stop her.But she doesn’t want to push Ruby further away.She’s never seen her hurting.Not like this.Not this badly.

Weiss can’t, she can’t lose Ruby.It’s selfish.It’s juvenile.But, she _can’t_.Not after everything.Not while knowing they have so far left to go.Not like _this._

Weiss doesn’t truly know where she stands in the fight against Salem.She’s not Blake, with her convictions to change the world for the better.Or Yang, with her dedication to protect her family.She’s here because, well, because seeing Yang in Raven Branwen’s camp had been a huge relief.

Without Winter in Mistral, Weiss had been uncertain, scared.She knew she couldn’t stay and let the bandits send her back to Father.Yet, she didn’t know where she would go next either.Yang had given her a sense of direction, of purpose.Yang was heading to Ruby, so Weiss would too.And honestly?There was no better place for her to be.

Learning everything, though, about the truth of the world, made Weiss feel small, insignificant.Grimm aren’t just mindless beasts of destruction.They have a mistress, and a true purpose.There is a being who hates humanity so much that she won’t rest until she sees them wiped from the face of the planet.Salem will destroy anything and everyone, regardless of whether or not they stand in her way.

In the face of all that, Weiss can’t lose Ruby.Not when Ruby makes her feel less alone.Less isolated.Less cold.Less like an ice queen.

The nickname is, and always has been, a joke, sure.But there’s always been some truth to it.Before Beacon, Weiss pushed the world away.She’d shut everything out.Nothing wanted her.Not as she truly was.Only what they _wanted _her as, which was so far from the truth that the facade could have been another person entirely.Weiss had built her walls to protect herself.To _be _herself.

Until Ruby.Ruby with her warmth, her smiles, her laughs and her jokes.Ruby who could melt the icy exterior Weiss armored herself in, but in such a gentle way that it never felt like her safeguards were being destroyed.Ruby who she missed, and longed for dearly, every day back before they reunited.

Salem would destroy Ruby, just because of the eye color Ruby happened to be born with.

More than anything else, that’s what keeps Weiss up at night.

“I care so much.”Ruby’s voice is quiet.Much quieter than it usually is.Somehow that’s worse.“But, don’t you see, Weiss?_That’s _the problem!”She hiccups.Weiss can’t see her new tears, but she can hear the sobs Ruby fails to muffle.“_That’s _why I have to go!To keep you safe! I can’t let you—I can’t let anyone else—”The cry escapes.Ruby gives up trying to hide it.Tears stream.Their trails glitter in the moonlight.“Don’t you get it, Weiss?!They’ll _always _hunt _me_!Because of my eyes!Of what I can do!”She wails.“And they don’t care who they hurt to get to me.”She pulls her blanket up over her head and cocoons herself.

Weiss sits down next to Ruby.She inhales.Exhales.Pulls the blanket down off her partner’s head.With her thumb, Weiss wipes the tears away from Ruby’s eyes.She pulls her sleeve over her hand and uses it to dry Ruby’s face.

“I know.We all know.And none of us are going anywhere.That’s our choice to make.”

“But, I—”

“Ruby, do you know what would break my heart?”Weiss interrupts.“If you were attacked and I, or Yang or Blake, weren’t there.We’re a team.That means we stick together.”

A spark of Ruby’s normal self returns.She lets out the quietest of laughs.“Isn’t that what the team leader is supposed to say?”

“Well.I think even our fearless leader needs reminding every now and then.”

Weiss wraps her arms around Ruby, who doesn’t hesitate to snuggle into her embrace.She presses her lips to the top of Ruby’s head.A soft kiss.A reminder of love freely given.Weiss listens to Ruby’s breathing ease.She places a hand on Ruby’s back as it rises and falls.A reassurance to herself.Ruby is still here.Still breathing.She hasn’t lost her.She _won’t _loose her.

“Would you like me to stay?”Weiss whispers.She feels Ruby nod against her in reply.

Weiss settles against the pillows.Ruby reaches for one of Weiss’s hands, which she intertwines with her own.With her free hand, Weiss strokes Ruby’s hair until she eventually drifts off to sleep.


End file.
